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Provisional Feedback

Beginning November 1st, ARE 5.0 candidates will have the opportunity to view immediate provisional feedback on your testing performance while still in the test center. This addition of provisional feedback is being provided in a continued effort to improve the candidate experience and align with common testing practices.

At the end of each exam, every ARE 5.0 candidate will have the choice to view your provisional feedback. After completing the brief exam survey, you will be asked if you would like to view this provisional feedback or just end the exam appointment. If you don’t wish to view the feedback at the test center, you can simply wait to get your results via the official score report, which will still be released to your MyNCARB within a few days.

The provisional feedback displayed on screen will inform you of your overall likelihood to pass or fail the division.

Keep in mind, the feedback provided at the test center is fully accurate but not official, because the results have not yet undergone further statistical analysis. Because of this, a printout of the feedback will not be provided at the test center. Provisional feedback does not replace the importance of the official score report, which will still be released per the rules of your jurisdiction. Remember, your official score report contains complete information about the appointment, candidate performance, and rolling clock information. Failing score reports will continue to provide greater feedback on how you performed on each content area of the division.

So how exactly will provisional feedback work at the test center?

At the end of each division, you will be asked to complete a brief survey about your testing experience. This is the same survey you complete today. You will then be presented with the screen below and asked if you would like to view your provisional feedback. You can choose No, End Exam or Yes, View Feedback.

If you do not make a selection within 2 minutes time, the exam will automatically advance as if you have selected No, End Exam. If you select to end the exam, you will NOT be able to “go back” if you change your mind. You will have to wait for your official score report to be posted in your MyNCARB to find out how you did on the division.

If you do choose to view your provisional feedback, the provisional feedback screen will remind you that your official score report will post in your NCARB Record within the next seven days -- but this typically happens within 1 to 2 days.

The screen will inform you if you will either likely pass or likely fail the division. The example below shows a likely pass result.

From this screen, all you are able to do is select Next>. If you take no action, the exam will automatically advance after 2 minutes.

This screen shows the feedback for someone whose performance was not adequate to pass the division.

Whether you chose to view your provisional feedback or not, you will still see this same final exam screen below. This screen provides final information about receiving your score report and a couple reminders about checking out of your exam appointment. Simply click End Exam and exit the test center.

We hope you find this new feature of ARE 5.0 helpful. Questions? Leave them in the comments below!

Comments

The official result is your score report. That is typically available in your NCARB Record by the next day.

And between you and me, the chances of a provisional score and an official score being different are almost slim to none. The way they would be is if something popped up based on security concerns, cheating, item harvesting, etc. If that is the case, then the tester likely has bigger issues than a "fail."

Good question! As stated in the article above, this feedback that you are provided at the end of your exam is fully accurate. Only in extreme cases would a score report differ from the provisional feedback. You can read more about provisional feedback on the NCARB Blog.

"Only in extreme cases, forensic analysis may lead to the official score report being held or invalidated after further investigation."

So in other words, I suppose unless there's evidence of misconduct revealed after the test then the "provisional" feedback is basically the result. I just got a pass on my last exam (provisionally) so I sure hope it's "fully accurate" as it says in this article.

I have to say, as a candidate I do really appreciate this new feature of the exams. However, I wish it would just say something like "you have passed unless there is evidence of misconduct". I don't know, "likely passed" just doesn't seem that certain, on a psychological level. I remember my LEED exam just gave the official score report right away without the "provisional" stuff, not sure why the ARE can't be the same way.

The "Provisional Feedback" states that the the feedback is based on a "preliminary analysis ONLY," and then you state above that "feedback provided at the test center is FULLY ACCURATEbut not official, because the results have not yet undergone further statistical analysis." This is a little confusing and contradicting.

NCARB should consider either confirming the result or sending it officially later; the statement "not yet undergone further statistical analysis" means that the "official result" might be different than the provisional feedback after undergoing further statistical analysis.

I just finished my PcM and I felt I did good enough; but, I got the "Provisional Feedback" stating that I will likely fail this division."

Based on the above understanding I look forward to receiving the "official result," and hoping that after "undergoing the further statistical analysis," I shall "pass."